Ladies&#39; wedge style shoes



SHIGERU OGASAWARA 3,006,083

LADIES WEDGE STYLE SHOES Oct. 31, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9,1959 INVENTOR Ma O M Oct. 31, 1961 Filed Feb. 9. 1959 SHIGERU OGASAWARA3,006,083

LADIES WEDGE STYLE SHOES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig; 3(A

INVENTOR.

nited States The present invention relates to ladies shoes, and moreparticularly to a wedge type of shoe.

It is well known that shoes, like other articles of clothing must notonly be comfortable, but also pleasing to the eye, i.e., stylish. Thus,shoe styling includes symmetry of design, unbroken surfaces, nounsightly stitches or lines, as well as providing a shoe which isstrong, durable, light and cushiony on the feet. At present most shoesare mass produced on an assembly line basis. That is to say, a series ofsemi-skilled workmen each perform one operation on a shoe in succession.Such workmen are generally experienced either at stitching or bondingwith glue or bonding agents. However, it is extremely difficult toproduce good stylish shoes, particularly wedge type shoes on such a massproduction basis, since the fitting of the soles and heels usuallyrequire the supervision of a master craftsman.

Although many attempts were made to overcome the foregoing difficultiesand other difliculties, none, as far as I am aware, was entirelysuccessful when carried into practice on an industrial scale.

It has now been discovered that a wedge type shoe can be provided whichis light in weight, comfortable, stylish, and yet easily manufactured onan assembly line.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe which isbeautiful and stylish and which can be produced on an assembly line.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe having afavorable cushiony feeling at the heel portion, said heel portion beingreadily assembled.

It is also the purpose of the invention to provide a shoe which can bemadeon an assembly line by unskilled or semi-skilled workmen.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides inthe novel arrangement and combina tion of parts in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

The invention in its broader aspects contemplates a shoe, comprising incombination a plurality of elements, among which are, an instepassembly, an inner heel cover fastened around the inner periphery of thelower rear portion of said instep assembly; a heel cover fastened aroundthe outer periphery of the lower rear portion of said instep assembly,i.e., an outer heel cover; an inner sole and heel combination having afront element or front inner sole, and a wedge shaped heel; and, anouter sole; said elements being combined in such a manner that theinstep assembly is put over the inner sole and heel combination to coverit, the periphery of the front cover portion of said instep assembly isfolded over the bottom edge of the front element of said inner sole andheel combination, stretching it around the front element of said innersole and heel combination. The folded periphery of the instep member isthen fastened to the reverse side, i.e., the under side of said elementby means of a suitable bonding agent. The heel cover member, i.e., theouter heel cover member is then turned down to cover the side surfacesof the heel and then folded under the heel. The folded portion of saidouter heel cover member is then glued to the reverse side, i.e., the

atent under side of said heel and sole combination by means of asuitable bonding agent. Finally, the outer sole is fastened to thereverse or under side or surface of said inner heel and sole combinationby means of a suitable bonding agent.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My inventionitself, however, both as to its manner of construction and manufacturingmethod together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a completed ladies shoe of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inner sole-heel combination which isone of the elements of the shoe of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of only the instep assembly of the shoe ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is a rear perspective view of the instep assernbly of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of only the outer sole of the FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the shoe consists of an inner sole and heelcombination A consisting of a front inner sole 1, advantageously made ofleather, or one of the synthetic leathers, and a Wedge-shaped heel 2,made of wood or similar material attached to said sole 1 by a suitablebonding agent at the shank portion as shown in FIG. 2; an instepassembly B consisting of a front cover portion 3 having cut portions 7at the lower sides of the shank, side instep walls 5, a back instep 8;an inner heel cover 1a which is attached, e.g., stitched around thelower edge or periphery of the inside of the instep, which heel cover 1amay be of cloth or leather as depicted in FIG. 3B. On the outer side ofthe instep, around its lower outer edge or periphery there is attached,e.g., sewed, an upwardly turned wedge-shaped heel cover 4 adapted anddesigned to cover the heel 2. Fastened, e.g., glued to the underside ofthe inner sole and heel combination is an outer sole 6, likewise made ofleather or leatherlike material. The combined assembling of members A,B, and outer sole 6, is carried out as follows:

First the instep B is put on the inner sole and heel combination A tocover it. Then, the periphery of the instep front cover portion 3 isfolded at the position in front of the shank over the edge of the frontand around the sides of inner sole 1. This is done while stretching thebottom of said front cover portion 3. The folded portion, i.e., theperiphery is glued to the reverse side, i.e., the under side of thefront inner sole of said combination. Then, the upwardly turned heelcover 4 is turned down to cover the side surface of wedge-shaped heel 2and folded over the bottom edge of said heel. The folded portion of saidheel is fastened, e.g., glued to the reverse or under side of said heelby a suitable bonding agent. Finally, the outer sole 6 is fastened tothe underside of heel 2 and front inner sole 1 by any suitable bondingagent. In the embodiment of the present invention, a cushion 2a made ofresilient material such as sponge gum may be attached to heel 2 as shownin FIG. 2. As the bonding agent, any suitable synthetic resin glue maybe used.

Attention is directed to the fact that the portion between the heel andshank of the inner sole of the inner sole and heel combination A hasheretofore been most difiicult to properly cover in a stylish and evenmanner in the mass production of wedge style shoes. However, sinceaccording to the present invention, this operation is carried out byfolding and turning heel cover 4 over the heel, and the periphery ofsaid heel cover is turned over the lower edge of the heel and fastenedunder the heel, this operation is considerably simplified. Since theheel is covered by heel cover 4 which is fastened to the outside ofinstep walls and back 8, the instep isnot inserted between the backportion of the inner sole and the heel as is the present conventional.practice. Therefore, there is no slit at the top of the heel.

In carrying the invention into practice, the instep assembly may be madeof one, two or more sheets of material, i.e., cloth, leather, or thelike. For example, the instep assembly may be made of a front instep,e.g., a front cover portion, a side instep, i.e., side wall portions anda back or rear instep, all of which are sewn to one another asillustrated in the drawing.

It is to be observed therefore, that the present invention provides fora shoe, comprising in combination; an instep assembly B with a frontcover portion 3 adapted to lay over the front of the foot, the lowerperiphery of said front cover being inwardly folded, and a rear portionhaving a back 8 and two side walls 5 adapted to engage the wearer's heelbelow the shin bone, said rear portion extending around the back of thefoot; inner heel cover 1a attached to the inside of said side walls 5and back 8 around the lower periphery thereof; a Wedge shaped heel covermember 4 having a folded upper edge,. fastened around the outside ofsaid walls 5 and back 8 at the lower periphery, the fastening takingplace inside said fold, the lower edge of said heel cover member beinglikewise inwardly folded; an inner sole and heel combination A having afront sole portion 1 and a wedge shaped heel 2' attached to said frontsole portion at the shank, said inner sole front portion 1 being joinedto said front cover portion 3 of the instep assembly, the bottom edge ofsaid inner sole being fastened to the fold of said front cover portion.3, and, the heelZ being; covered by said heel cover 4, the folded loweredge of said heelcover 4 being fastened to said heel 2 under said heel;and, an outer sole 6 fastened to the underside of said inner sole andheelcombination.

Furthermore, the invention-provides for a method of making wedge shapedladies shoes wherein precut shoe fittings are assembled and joined; theimprovement in the method comprising the steps of placing; over an innersole and heel combination A, which combination consists of an alreadyfabricated front inner sole 1, and a wedge shaped heel 2 attached tosaid sole 1 at the shank portion; an instep assembly B, which assemblycomprises an already fabricated front cover portion 3, and a rearportion having sidewalls 5 and a back 8, and which has an inner heelcover In attached around the lower periphery of the inside of the rearinstep; and an upwardly turned wedge shaped heel outer cover 4 fastenedto the outside of the instep around the lower outer periphery; foldingthe periphery of the instep front cover 3 over the front and the sidesof inner sole 1 while stretching said instep periphery, and fasteningsaid periphery to the under side of said front inner sole 1; turningdown said upwardly turned heel cover 4-to cover heel 2, folding thelower edge of said heel cover 4 under said heel 2, and fastening, e.g.gluing said folded portion thereunder; and, finally gluing said outersole 6 to said inner sole and heel combination.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction withpreferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications andvariations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention; as those skilled in the art will readilyunderstand. Such modifications and variations are considered to bewithin the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

I claim:

l-. A ladies wedge style shoe, comprising in combination; an instepassembly with a front cover portion adapted to lay over the front of thefoot, the lower periphery of said front cover portion being inwardlyfolded, and a rear portion having a back and two side walls adapted toengage the wearers heel below the shin bone, said rear portion extendingaround the back ofthe foot; an inner heel cover attached to the insideof said side walls and back around the lower periphery thereof; a wedgeshaped heel cover member having a folded upper edge, fastened around theoutside of said walls and back at the lower periphery, the fasteningtaking place inside the fold, the lower edge of said heel cover memberbeing likewise inwardly folded; an inner sole and heel combinationhaving a front sole portion and a wedge shaped heel attached to saidfront sole portion at the shank, said inner sole front portion beingjoined to said front cover portion of the instep assembly, the bottomedge of said inner sole being fastened to the fold of said front coverportionand, the heel being covered by said heel cover, the folded loweredge of said heel cover being fastened to said heel under said heel;and, an outer sole fastened to the underside of said inner sole and heelcombination.

2. A ladies wedge style shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein the heel isprovided with a cushion layer thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,212,613 Messina Aug. 27, 1940 2,318,846 Fern May 11, 1943 2,321,713.Turner June 15, 1943 2,348,952 Braun May 16, 1944 2,379,681 Cohen July3, 1945 2,381,503 Le Rette Aug. 7, 1945 2,383,052 Everston Aug. 21, 19452,384,431 Beestrum Sept. 11, 1945 2,392,815 Gleason Jan.- 15, 19462,392,816 Gleason Jan. 15, 1946 2,422,494 Morein June 17, 1947 2,482,010Lissak Sept. 13, 1949 2,514,057 Herlihy July 4, 1950 2,526,925 AtlasOct. 24, 1950 2,538,373 Maling Jan. 16, 1951 2,543,183 Maling Feb. 27,1951 2,581,524 Ford Jan. 8, 1952

